classes
'Anyone who is looking to become more specific, flexible, grounded and playful performer should give themselves the gift of clown training with Toomey. It has been one of the single most influential components of my education as an actor.' -ANDRUS NICHOLS, Elliot Norton Award Winning Actor for Saint Joan with Bedlam Theatre
'Michael Toomey and Andrew Borthwick Leslie are transformational teachers deeply committed to and successful in creating experiences that inspire and train artists in a way that serves both our profession and our world. They have deeply affected who I am as an artists as well as several of my students. I am working to bring them and the Humanist Project to my full ensemble of artists as often as I can.'- REBECCA KEMPER-GOODHEART, Artistic Director, Elm Shakespeare
Shakespeare's Text and Verse
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS! Through games, movement exercises and experimentation this class explore the structure of Shakespeare’s verse and prose. Michael F. Toomey and Andrew Borthwick Leslie of The Humanist Project offer a new class looking at Shakespeare through movement and the physical life of the actor. With prose and verse text from Shakespeare’s plays, this project will explore the questions: What practices can we use in rehearsal and on our own to explore and physicalize Shakespeare’s text. The various elements that make up Shakespeare’s verse and prose and how to heighten their use through physical rehearsal. Are all the elements of the Artists’ spirit present in their work and how can they be more fully integrated? Can the Artist maintain the size and scope of Shakespearean language and what structures help the performer to maintain heightened language in performance. What new customs can we create to help us become a more integrated Artist in our play, movement and text? Don't Miss Out on this exciting opportunity! $425 Wednesday For 9 weeks 7-10 Sept 26 Oct 3, 17, 24, 31, Nov 7, 14, 28 Dec 5 Clinton Cameo Studio 307 W 43rd st NY, NY 10036 Space is limited so reserve your place today. Please send your request to Thehumanistproject@gmail.com A non-refundable payment of $425 is due on the first day of class. For those with limited resources it may be possible to set up payment plans. Contact Amanda at Thehumanistproject@gmail.com for more information. (We turned people away last fall and spring, and this class will fill quickly. In order to assure a complete experience for the artists, we want to have a group that is balanced in demographics, so it may not be ‘first come first serve’. We will however, give preference to early responders.) Artist Bios: Andrew Borthwick-Leslie is a member of Shakespeare & Co. in Lenox, MA where he has taught, directed and acted for twenty years. He has taught acting and voice at the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, Emerson College, DeSales University and the University of Maryland among others. Andrew has run workshops for the Center for Renaissance Studies, the American Bar Association, the New England Homeless Veterans shelter and many more. He has directed, devised, or assisted on over fifty productions -from Cymbeline to Perestroika. Most recently he directed Double Falsehood for Letter of Marque Theatre Company at Iron Dale and Merchant of Venice for the Shakespeare Forum. He lives happily Brooklyn. Michael F. Toomey has been a member of the nationally acclaimed Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA since 1998, where he is an actor, director, and faculty member. He is a founding member and trustee of Split Knuckle Theatre, which devises new works of theatre and is currently touring throughout the world with recent performances in Bangkok, Athens and Paris. Michael has been a Visiting Assistant Professor at Binghamton University teaching Clown, Shakespeare and Fight. Michael teaches workshops for professional actors in Fight, Clown and Shakespeare around the country and abroad. He has directed, devised or choreographed numerous shows including Julius Caesar and Alice In Wonderland and has performed throughout the East coast and internationally including roles such as Macbeth, Scapin, and Polonius. He is a graduate from LISPA (London International School of Performing Arts) and holds an MFA in Lecoq-based actor created theatre from Naropa University. |
FALL clown Training
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what people are saying about the humanist project classes
'For me, acting requires an honest connection with my true self, with all the parts of myself I ignore, push away, and/or refuse to acknowledge in the day to day. Perhaps it's self-preservation in such a big city and competitive industry. The Humanist Project's approach starts with the actor as a person, who he is first and foremost and builds from there using his life experiences as the canvas on which to paint. My training with Michael and Andrew has been invaluable, especially since moving to New York, where this sense of self-preservation can so easily overwhelm an actors journey for truth. The Humanist Project has continually brought me back to the essentials and joy of acting, for this I am very grateful.' - PAUL-EMILE CENDRON, Actor, The Judge
'The Humanist Project is my favorite place to play, grow & experiment as an artist in NYC! If you're looking for a fun, nurturing & explorative environment to learn, take any of Michael & Andrew's class offerings (& any of their guests as well!)' -EMILY VERE NICOLL, Actor, She Stoops to Conquer
'These two teachers, Michael Toomey and Andrew Borthwick Leslie, are inventive, freeing and touched with a genius of teaching non-judgmentally. Working with each of them has been freeing, inspiring and eye-opening! I cannot recommend them too highly.' -DENNIS KRAUSNICK, Director of Training, Shakespeare & Company
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